Yahoo Forum Archive

Hey guys,

Over the last few months I've been discussing with several MEFA
volunteers how we can improve the awards for the upcoming year. And
we've finally gotten through all that. I'll make another announcement
later tonight about the changes, but the big thing to know is that the
2012 MEFAs are coming, and soon! Specifically, heres the schedule for
the 2012 awards:

--- (1) July 1-31: Nominations season
(After this, new pieces cannot be nominated for the awards.)

--- (2) August 7: Deadline for authors to finalize any nominations
(After this, any nominations that are not finalized will be withdrawn
from the awards and will need to be renominated in future years.)

--- (3) August 23-31: Check ballot season
(After this, pieces usually arent moved to new categories or
subcategories. The only exception is if the author finishes a WIP
story.)

--- (4) September 1: First reviews are displayed at the mefawards.org website.
(After this, all final reviews will be displayed at the website and
cannot be edited. Reviewers should use the hidden or notes
[previously draft] status if they need to edit reviews.)

--- (5) October 1: Deadline to enter a reviewing goal.
--- (6) January 31 (2013): Last day of voting.
(After this, no new votes can be entered. Any reviews with the notes
status will not be counted unless they are given a final or hidden
status before this date.)

The most important thing is this: the MEFAs will start accepting
nominations in just under two weeks. And thats coming quickly.

*********************

So just what can you do to help out?

NOMINATORS: Now is the time to work out just what you want to
nominate. Basically, you can edit anything that hasnt competed in the
past (or that was a WIP at the end of the awards in which it
competed), provided it meets our eligibility requirement, is at a
publicly-available link, and meets other eligibility requirements. You
can find the pieces nominated in 2011 at http://www.mefawards.org/,
and past years nominations are listed at
http://archive.mefawards.org/ . Youll need the title, authors name,
authors email address, and link where the piece is available.

AUTHORS: You can help us out most by keeping an eye on whatever email
address you use for fandom websites and listservs. If youve changed
this in the last year, you should make sure your MEFA account is up to
date at www.mefawards.org. (If you need help doing that you can email
me at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom.) Also, if you decide you dont want to
compete this year, you should email me and let me know so I can put
you on our dont-nominate list.

Then there are more formal volunteers, the members who help me doing
specific work behind the scenes. Specifically:

LIAISIONS: We need volunteers to help guide authors through the
process of getting their stories ready to compete. This involves
contacting authors and answering any questions they have about the
MEFAs (you can ask me if you dont know the answer), and making sure
forms describing the stories are filled out correctly. You need to be
around regularly (ideally, at least once a day) between July 1 and
August 7. It also helps to have participated in the awards for at
least a year, and to have a generally positive and helpful attitude.

PROMOTERS: Want to help spread the word about the MEFAs? Promoters
post announcements at other Tolkien-centric websites, forums, and
listservs. You also need to keep an eye on those forums for MEFA
questions and relay them back to me if any seem to need an official
answer. The main thing is you need to know a place that would welcome
our announcements, where you can promote the MEFAs. You also need to
check your email regularly, between now and January 31. (Even if
someone promoted there last time, please feel free to volunteer;
theres always a chance that person might not volunteer again.)

BANNER-MAKERS: Have an interest in graphic design? Were always
looking for people to make banners and icons to recognize nominated
stories, people who meet their reviewing goals, and of course the
eventual winners. This can take as much or as little time as you are
willing to give to it, but obviously

RATINGS PANEL: Often authors arent sure what rating to give a story,
or readers will question whether the rating listed is appropriate.
When that happens I rely on the ratings panel, a group of MEFA members
who read the stories involved and tell me what rating they think the
story should have. Ill give them official guidelines for what each
rating should cover. They will then read the stories and decide which
rating is more appropriate. You need to be able to read stories fairly
quickly and see where they fit in our guidelines. Most of the work is
July 1-August 15, but occasionally I also need your help later in the
awards as well.)

(Actually, the use of rating is inappropriate. The MEFAs is moving
to something called content advisories  which is basically one rating
for sex, another for violence, and a third for other mature themes.
Ill say more about this when I post the PM results later tonight, but
the goal is to give more information to readers who might have no
problem with any kind of sexual content but prefer to avoid violence 
or vice versa. In any event the ratings panel will be looking at
whether those content advisories are appropriate.)

So: if any of those sound like your cup of Earl Grey, please send me
an email at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom. Even if youre not sure you can
handle it, drop me a line and Ill be glad to tell you more about what
we need.

*****************

One other way to help is with your wallet. The MEFA website relies on
having a website, and the company that provides it does like to be
paid occasionally. This costs around $10 a month and is our only
expense; the rest of the awards run on our volunteers talents and
elbow grease. I realize that money can be tight these days, and you
are certainly free to participate without contributing $$$ toward that
particular bill, but we certainly appreciate every donation  if only
because every contribution means its that much longer before I have
to be here again with my hand out. :-)

You can donate at http://bit.ly/KR1EsU. I also accept checks and cash
if you cant use PayPal for some point; email me at
mefasupportATgmailDOTcom and Ill email you my postal address.

Looking forward to working (and playing) with you all in the 2012 MEFAs.

Marta
(MEFA Admin.)

I'll be happy to be on the ratings panel again.

Becky Burkheart*
**Write Horses Right* ~ avoid the The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About
Horses<http://aconspiracyofauthors.com/acoajoom/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=77>
Contact me about speaking to your writers group ~ *Have Horse will Travel*!

On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 6:04 PM, Marta <marta.fandom@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey guys,
>
> Over the last few months I've been discussing with several MEFA
> volunteers how we can improve the awards for the upcoming year. And
> we've finally gotten through all that. I'll make another announcement
> later tonight about the changes, but the big thing to know is that the
> 2012 MEFAs are coming, and soon! Specifically, hereýs the schedule for
> the 2012 awards:
>
> --- (1) July 1-31: Nominations season
> (After this, new pieces cannot be nominated for the awards.)
>
> --- (2) August 7: Deadline for authors to finalize any nominations
> (After this, any nominations that are not finalized will be withdrawn
> from the awards and will need to be renominated in future years.)
>
> --- (3) August 23-31: Check ballot season
> (After this, pieces usually arenýt moved to new categories or
> subcategories. The only exception is if the author finishes a WIP
> story.)
>
> --- (4) September 1: First reviews are displayed at the mefawards.orgwebsite.
> (After this, all final reviews will be displayed at the website and
> cannot be edited. Reviewers should use the ýhiddený or ýnotesý
> [previously draft] status if they need to edit reviews.)
>
> --- (5) October 1: Deadline to enter a reviewing goal.
> --- (6) January 31 (2013): Last day of voting.
> (After this, no new votes can be entered. Any reviews with the notes
> status will not be counted unless they are given a final or hidden
> status before this date.)
>
> The most important thing is this: the MEFAs will start accepting
> nominations in just under two weeks. And thatýs coming quickly.
>
> *********************
>
> So just what can you do to help out?
>
> NOMINATORS: Now is the time to work out just what you want to
> nominate. Basically, you can edit anything that hasnýt competed in the
> past (or that was a WIP at the end of the awards in which it
> competed), provided it meets our eligibility requirement, is at a
> publicly-available link, and meets other eligibility requirements. You
> can find the pieces nominated in 2011 at http://www.mefawards.org/,
> and past yearsý nominations are listed at
> http://archive.mefawards.org/ . Youýll need the title, authorýs name,
> authorýs email address, and link where the piece is available.
>
> AUTHORS: You can help us out most by keeping an eye on whatever email
> address you use for fandom websites and listservs. If youýve changed
> this in the last year, you should make sure your MEFA account is up to
> date at www.mefawards.org. (If you need help doing that you can email
> me at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom.) Also, if you decide you donýt want to
> compete this year, you should email me and let me know so I can put
> you on our donýt-nominate list.
>
> Then there are more formal volunteers, the members who help me doing
> specific work behind the scenes. Specifically:
>
> LIAISIONS: We need volunteers to help guide authors through the
> process of getting their stories ready to compete. This involves
> contacting authors and answering any questions they have about the
> MEFAs (you can ask me if you donýt know the answer), and making sure
> forms describing the stories are filled out correctly. You need to be
> around regularly (ideally, at least once a day) between July 1 and
> August 7. It also helps to have participated in the awards for at
> least a year, and to have a generally positive and helpful attitude.
>
> PROMOTERS: Want to help spread the word about the MEFAs? Promoters
> post announcements at other Tolkien-centric websites, forums, and
> listservs. You also need to keep an eye on those forums for MEFA
> questions and relay them back to me if any seem to need an official
> answer. The main thing is you need to know a place that would welcome
> our announcements, where you can promote the MEFAs. You also need to
> check your email regularly, between now and January 31. (Even if
> someone promoted there last time, please feel free to volunteer;
> thereýs always a chance that person might not volunteer again.)
>
> BANNER-MAKERS: Have an interest in graphic design? Weýre always
> looking for people to make banners and icons to recognize nominated
> stories, people who meet their reviewing goals, and of course the
> eventual winners. This can take as much or as little time as you are
> willing to give to it, but obviously
>
> RATINGS PANEL: Often authors arenýt sure what rating to give a story,
> or readers will question whether the rating listed is appropriate.
> When that happens I rely on the ratings panel, a group of MEFA members
> who read the stories involved and tell me what rating they think the
> story should have. Iýll give them official guidelines for what each
> rating should cover. They will then read the stories and decide which
> rating is more appropriate. You need to be able to read stories fairly
> quickly and see where they fit in our guidelines. Most of the work is
> July 1-August 15, but occasionally I also need your help later in the
> awards as well.)
>
> (Actually, the use of ýratingý is inappropriate. The MEFAs is moving
> to something called content advisories ý which is basically one rating
> for sex, another for violence, and a third for other mature themes.
> Iýll say more about this when I post the PM results later tonight, but
> the goal is to give more information to readers who might have no
> problem with any kind of sexual content but prefer to avoid violence ý
> or vice versa. In any event the ratings panel will be looking at
> whether those content advisories are appropriate.)
>
> So: if any of those sound like your cup of Earl Grey, please send me
> an email at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom. Even if youýre not sure you can
> handle it, drop me a line and Iýll be glad to tell you more about what
> we need.
>
> *****************
>
> One other way to help is with your wallet. The MEFA website relies on
> having a website, and the company that provides it does like to be
> paid occasionally. This costs around $10 a month and is our only
> expense; the rest of the awards run on our volunteerýs talents and
> elbow grease. I realize that money can be tight these days, and you
> are certainly free to participate without contributing $$$ toward that
> particular bill, but we certainly appreciate every donation ý if only
> because every contribution means itýs that much longer before I have
> to be here again with my hand out. :-)
>
> You can donate at http://bit.ly/KR1EsU. I also accept checks and cash
> if you canýt use PayPal for some point; email me at
> mefasupportATgmailDOTcom and Iýll email you my postal address.
>
> Looking forward to working (and playing) with you all in the 2012 MEFAs.
>
> Marta
> (MEFA Admin.)
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks Becky! I have you down for that now.

Marta

On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 9:41 PM, Sulriel of Menegroth <sulriel@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'll be happy to be on the ratings panel again.
>
> Becky Burkheart*
> **Write Horses Right* ~ avoid the  The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About
> Horses<http://aconspiracyofauthors.com/acoajoom/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=77>
> Contact me about speaking to your writers group ~ *Have Horse will Travel*!
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 6:04 PM, Marta <marta.fandom@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey guys,
>>
>> Over the last few months I've been discussing with several MEFA
>> volunteers how we can improve the awards for the upcoming year. And
>> we've finally gotten through all that. I'll make another announcement
>> later tonight about the changes, but the big thing to know is that the
>> 2012 MEFAs are coming, and soon! Specifically, heres the schedule for
>> the 2012 awards:
>>
>> --- (1) July 1-31: Nominations season
>> (After this, new pieces cannot be nominated for the awards.)
>>
>> --- (2) August 7: Deadline for authors to finalize any nominations
>> (After this, any nominations that are not finalized will be withdrawn
>> from the awards and will need to be renominated in future years.)
>>
>> --- (3) August 23-31: Check ballot season
>> (After this, pieces usually arent moved to new categories or
>> subcategories. The only exception is if the author finishes a WIP
>> story.)
>>
>> --- (4) September 1: First reviews are displayed at the mefawards.orgwebsite.
>> (After this, all final reviews will be displayed at the website and
>> cannot be edited. Reviewers should use the hidden or notes
>> [previously draft] status if they need to edit reviews.)
>>
>> --- (5) October 1: Deadline to enter a reviewing goal.
>> --- (6) January 31 (2013): Last day of voting.
>> (After this, no new votes can be entered. Any reviews with the notes
>> status will not be counted unless they are given a final or hidden
>> status before this date.)
>>
>> The most important thing is this: the MEFAs will start accepting
>> nominations in just under two weeks. And thats coming quickly.
>>
>> *********************
>>
>> So just what can you do to help out?
>>
>> NOMINATORS: Now is the time to work out just what you want to
>> nominate. Basically, you can edit anything that hasnt competed in the
>> past (or that was a WIP at the end of the awards in which it
>> competed), provided it meets our eligibility requirement, is at a
>> publicly-available link, and meets other eligibility requirements. You
>> can find the pieces nominated in 2011 at http://www.mefawards.org/,
>> and past years nominations are listed at
>> http://archive.mefawards.org/ . Youll need the title, authors name,
>> authors email address, and link where the piece is available.
>>
>> AUTHORS: You can help us out most by keeping an eye on whatever email
>> address you use for fandom websites and listservs. If youve changed
>> this in the last year, you should make sure your MEFA account is up to
>> date at www.mefawards.org. (If you need help doing that you can email
>> me at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom.) Also, if you decide you dont want to
>> compete this year, you should email me and let me know so I can put
>> you on our dont-nominate list.
>>
>> Then there are more formal volunteers, the members who help me doing
>> specific work behind the scenes. Specifically:
>>
>> LIAISIONS: We need volunteers to help guide authors through the
>> process of getting their stories ready to compete. This involves
>> contacting authors and answering any questions they have about the
>> MEFAs (you can ask me if you dont know the answer), and making sure
>> forms describing the stories are filled out correctly. You need to be
>> around regularly (ideally, at least once a day) between July 1 and
>> August 7. It also helps to have participated in the awards for at
>> least a year, and to have a generally positive and helpful attitude.
>>
>> PROMOTERS: Want to help spread the word about the MEFAs? Promoters
>> post announcements at other Tolkien-centric websites, forums, and
>> listservs. You also need to keep an eye on those forums for MEFA
>> questions and relay them back to me if any seem to need an official
>> answer. The main thing is you need to know a place that would welcome
>> our announcements, where you can promote the MEFAs. You also need to
>> check your email regularly, between now and January 31. (Even if
>> someone promoted there last time, please feel free to volunteer;
>> theres always a chance that person might not volunteer again.)
>>
>> BANNER-MAKERS: Have an interest in graphic design? Were always
>> looking for people to make banners and icons to recognize nominated
>> stories, people who meet their reviewing goals, and of course the
>> eventual winners. This can take as much or as little time as you are
>> willing to give to it, but obviously
>>
>> RATINGS PANEL: Often authors arent sure what rating to give a story,
>> or readers will question whether the rating listed is appropriate.
>> When that happens I rely on the ratings panel, a group of MEFA members
>> who read the stories involved and tell me what rating they think the
>> story should have. Ill give them official guidelines for what each
>> rating should cover. They will then read the stories and decide which
>> rating is more appropriate. You need to be able to read stories fairly
>> quickly and see where they fit in our guidelines. Most of the work is
>> July 1-August 15, but occasionally I also need your help later in the
>> awards as well.)
>>
>> (Actually, the use of rating is inappropriate. The MEFAs is moving
>> to something called content advisories  which is basically one rating
>> for sex, another for violence, and a third for other mature themes.
>> Ill say more about this when I post the PM results later tonight, but
>> the goal is to give more information to readers who might have no
>> problem with any kind of sexual content but prefer to avoid violence 
>> or vice versa. In any event the ratings panel will be looking at
>> whether those content advisories are appropriate.)
>>
>> So: if any of those sound like your cup of Earl Grey, please send me
>> an email at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom. Even if youre not sure you can
>> handle it, drop me a line and Ill be glad to tell you more about what
>> we need.
>>
>> *****************
>>
>> One other way to help is with your wallet. The MEFA website relies on
>> having a website, and the company that provides it does like to be
>> paid occasionally. This costs around $10 a month and is our only
>> expense; the rest of the awards run on our volunteers talents and
>> elbow grease. I realize that money can be tight these days, and you
>> are certainly free to participate without contributing $$$ toward that
>> particular bill, but we certainly appreciate every donation  if only
>> because every contribution means its that much longer before I have
>> to be here again with my hand out. :-)
>>
>> You can donate at http://bit.ly/KR1EsU. I also accept checks and cash
>> if you cant use PayPal for some point; email me at
>> mefasupportATgmailDOTcom and Ill email you my postal address.
>>
>> Looking forward to working (and playing) with you all in the 2012 MEFAs.
>>
>> Marta
>> (MEFA Admin.)
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

I will still liaison, and I will categorize again this year too, if you
still need me.
Barbara

On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 6:04 PM, Marta <marta.fandom@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey guys,
>
> Over the last few months I've been discussing with several MEFA
> volunteers how we can improve the awards for the upcoming year. And
> we've finally gotten through all that. I'll make another announcement
> later tonight about the changes, but the big thing to know is that the
> 2012 MEFAs are coming, and soon! Specifically, hereýs the schedule for
> the 2012 awards:
>
> --- (1) July 1-31: Nominations season
> (After this, new pieces cannot be nominated for the awards.)
>
> --- (2) August 7: Deadline for authors to finalize any nominations
> (After this, any nominations that are not finalized will be withdrawn
> from the awards and will need to be renominated in future years.)
>
> --- (3) August 23-31: Check ballot season
> (After this, pieces usually arenýt moved to new categories or
> subcategories. The only exception is if the author finishes a WIP
> story.)
>
> --- (4) September 1: First reviews are displayed at the mefawards.orgwebsite.
> (After this, all final reviews will be displayed at the website and
> cannot be edited. Reviewers should use the ýhiddený or ýnotesý
> [previously draft] status if they need to edit reviews.)
>
> --- (5) October 1: Deadline to enter a reviewing goal.
> --- (6) January 31 (2013): Last day of voting.
> (After this, no new votes can be entered. Any reviews with the notes
> status will not be counted unless they are given a final or hidden
> status before this date.)
>
> The most important thing is this: the MEFAs will start accepting
> nominations in just under two weeks. And thatýs coming quickly.
>
> *********************
>
> So just what can you do to help out?
>
> NOMINATORS: Now is the time to work out just what you want to
> nominate. Basically, you can edit anything that hasnýt competed in the
> past (or that was a WIP at the end of the awards in which it
> competed), provided it meets our eligibility requirement, is at a
> publicly-available link, and meets other eligibility requirements. You
> can find the pieces nominated in 2011 at http://www.mefawards.org/,
> and past yearsý nominations are listed at
> http://archive.mefawards.org/ . Youýll need the title, authorýs name,
> authorýs email address, and link where the piece is available.
>
> AUTHORS: You can help us out most by keeping an eye on whatever email
> address you use for fandom websites and listservs. If youýve changed
> this in the last year, you should make sure your MEFA account is up to
> date at www.mefawards.org. (If you need help doing that you can email
> me at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom.) Also, if you decide you donýt want to
> compete this year, you should email me and let me know so I can put
> you on our donýt-nominate list.
>
> Then there are more formal volunteers, the members who help me doing
> specific work behind the scenes. Specifically:
>
> LIAISIONS: We need volunteers to help guide authors through the
> process of getting their stories ready to compete. This involves
> contacting authors and answering any questions they have about the
> MEFAs (you can ask me if you donýt know the answer), and making sure
> forms describing the stories are filled out correctly. You need to be
> around regularly (ideally, at least once a day) between July 1 and
> August 7. It also helps to have participated in the awards for at
> least a year, and to have a generally positive and helpful attitude.
>
> PROMOTERS: Want to help spread the word about the MEFAs? Promoters
> post announcements at other Tolkien-centric websites, forums, and
> listservs. You also need to keep an eye on those forums for MEFA
> questions and relay them back to me if any seem to need an official
> answer. The main thing is you need to know a place that would welcome
> our announcements, where you can promote the MEFAs. You also need to
> check your email regularly, between now and January 31. (Even if
> someone promoted there last time, please feel free to volunteer;
> thereýs always a chance that person might not volunteer again.)
>
> BANNER-MAKERS: Have an interest in graphic design? Weýre always
> looking for people to make banners and icons to recognize nominated
> stories, people who meet their reviewing goals, and of course the
> eventual winners. This can take as much or as little time as you are
> willing to give to it, but obviously
>
> RATINGS PANEL: Often authors arenýt sure what rating to give a story,
> or readers will question whether the rating listed is appropriate.
> When that happens I rely on the ratings panel, a group of MEFA members
> who read the stories involved and tell me what rating they think the
> story should have. Iýll give them official guidelines for what each
> rating should cover. They will then read the stories and decide which
> rating is more appropriate. You need to be able to read stories fairly
> quickly and see where they fit in our guidelines. Most of the work is
> July 1-August 15, but occasionally I also need your help later in the
> awards as well.)
>
> (Actually, the use of ýratingý is inappropriate. The MEFAs is moving
> to something called content advisories ý which is basically one rating
> for sex, another for violence, and a third for other mature themes.
> Iýll say more about this when I post the PM results later tonight, but
> the goal is to give more information to readers who might have no
> problem with any kind of sexual content but prefer to avoid violence ý
> or vice versa. In any event the ratings panel will be looking at
> whether those content advisories are appropriate.)
>
> So: if any of those sound like your cup of Earl Grey, please send me
> an email at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom. Even if youýre not sure you can
> handle it, drop me a line and Iýll be glad to tell you more about what
> we need.
>
> *****************
>
> One other way to help is with your wallet. The MEFA website relies on
> having a website, and the company that provides it does like to be
> paid occasionally. This costs around $10 a month and is our only
> expense; the rest of the awards run on our volunteerýs talents and
> elbow grease. I realize that money can be tight these days, and you
> are certainly free to participate without contributing $$$ toward that
> particular bill, but we certainly appreciate every donation ý if only
> because every contribution means itýs that much longer before I have
> to be here again with my hand out. :-)
>
> You can donate at http://bit.ly/KR1EsU. I also accept checks and cash
> if you canýt use PayPal for some point; email me at
> mefasupportATgmailDOTcom and Iýll email you my postal address.
>
> Looking forward to working (and playing) with you all in the 2012 MEFAs.
>
> Marta
> (MEFA Admin.)
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks Barbara! I'm not thinking about categorizers quite yet since
we're a way off from that, but I have jotted down your name as someone
who's interested. I'll certainly be in touch once we get closer to the
categorizing season. I've also put you down as a liaison.

Marta

On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 10:48 PM, Barbara Rich <aelfwina@gmail.com> wrote:
> I will still liaison, and I will categorize again this year too, if you
> still need me.
> Barbara
>
> On Sat, Jun 16, 2012 at 6:04 PM, Marta <marta.fandom@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey guys,
>>
>> Over the last few months I've been discussing with several MEFA
>> volunteers how we can improve the awards for the upcoming year. And
>> we've finally gotten through all that. I'll make another announcement
>> later tonight about the changes, but the big thing to know is that the
>> 2012 MEFAs are coming, and soon! Specifically, heres the schedule for
>> the 2012 awards:
>>
>> --- (1) July 1-31: Nominations season
>> (After this, new pieces cannot be nominated for the awards.)
>>
>> --- (2) August 7: Deadline for authors to finalize any nominations
>> (After this, any nominations that are not finalized will be withdrawn
>> from the awards and will need to be renominated in future years.)
>>
>> --- (3) August 23-31: Check ballot season
>> (After this, pieces usually arent moved to new categories or
>> subcategories. The only exception is if the author finishes a WIP
>> story.)
>>
>> --- (4) September 1: First reviews are displayed at the mefawards.orgwebsite.
>> (After this, all final reviews will be displayed at the website and
>> cannot be edited. Reviewers should use the hidden or notes
>> [previously draft] status if they need to edit reviews.)
>>
>> --- (5) October 1: Deadline to enter a reviewing goal.
>> --- (6) January 31 (2013): Last day of voting.
>> (After this, no new votes can be entered. Any reviews with the notes
>> status will not be counted unless they are given a final or hidden
>> status before this date.)
>>
>> The most important thing is this: the MEFAs will start accepting
>> nominations in just under two weeks. And thats coming quickly.
>>
>> *********************
>>
>> So just what can you do to help out?
>>
>> NOMINATORS: Now is the time to work out just what you want to
>> nominate. Basically, you can edit anything that hasnt competed in the
>> past (or that was a WIP at the end of the awards in which it
>> competed), provided it meets our eligibility requirement, is at a
>> publicly-available link, and meets other eligibility requirements. You
>> can find the pieces nominated in 2011 at http://www.mefawards.org/,
>> and past years nominations are listed at
>> http://archive.mefawards.org/ . Youll need the title, authors name,
>> authors email address, and link where the piece is available.
>>
>> AUTHORS: You can help us out most by keeping an eye on whatever email
>> address you use for fandom websites and listservs. If youve changed
>> this in the last year, you should make sure your MEFA account is up to
>> date at www.mefawards.org. (If you need help doing that you can email
>> me at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom.) Also, if you decide you dont want to
>> compete this year, you should email me and let me know so I can put
>> you on our dont-nominate list.
>>
>> Then there are more formal volunteers, the members who help me doing
>> specific work behind the scenes. Specifically:
>>
>> LIAISIONS: We need volunteers to help guide authors through the
>> process of getting their stories ready to compete. This involves
>> contacting authors and answering any questions they have about the
>> MEFAs (you can ask me if you dont know the answer), and making sure
>> forms describing the stories are filled out correctly. You need to be
>> around regularly (ideally, at least once a day) between July 1 and
>> August 7. It also helps to have participated in the awards for at
>> least a year, and to have a generally positive and helpful attitude.
>>
>> PROMOTERS: Want to help spread the word about the MEFAs? Promoters
>> post announcements at other Tolkien-centric websites, forums, and
>> listservs. You also need to keep an eye on those forums for MEFA
>> questions and relay them back to me if any seem to need an official
>> answer. The main thing is you need to know a place that would welcome
>> our announcements, where you can promote the MEFAs. You also need to
>> check your email regularly, between now and January 31. (Even if
>> someone promoted there last time, please feel free to volunteer;
>> theres always a chance that person might not volunteer again.)
>>
>> BANNER-MAKERS: Have an interest in graphic design? Were always
>> looking for people to make banners and icons to recognize nominated
>> stories, people who meet their reviewing goals, and of course the
>> eventual winners. This can take as much or as little time as you are
>> willing to give to it, but obviously
>>
>> RATINGS PANEL: Often authors arent sure what rating to give a story,
>> or readers will question whether the rating listed is appropriate.
>> When that happens I rely on the ratings panel, a group of MEFA members
>> who read the stories involved and tell me what rating they think the
>> story should have. Ill give them official guidelines for what each
>> rating should cover. They will then read the stories and decide which
>> rating is more appropriate. You need to be able to read stories fairly
>> quickly and see where they fit in our guidelines. Most of the work is
>> July 1-August 15, but occasionally I also need your help later in the
>> awards as well.)
>>
>> (Actually, the use of rating is inappropriate. The MEFAs is moving
>> to something called content advisories  which is basically one rating
>> for sex, another for violence, and a third for other mature themes.
>> Ill say more about this when I post the PM results later tonight, but
>> the goal is to give more information to readers who might have no
>> problem with any kind of sexual content but prefer to avoid violence 
>> or vice versa. In any event the ratings panel will be looking at
>> whether those content advisories are appropriate.)
>>
>> So: if any of those sound like your cup of Earl Grey, please send me
>> an email at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom. Even if youre not sure you can
>> handle it, drop me a line and Ill be glad to tell you more about what
>> we need.
>>
>> *****************
>>
>> One other way to help is with your wallet. The MEFA website relies on
>> having a website, and the company that provides it does like to be
>> paid occasionally. This costs around $10 a month and is our only
>> expense; the rest of the awards run on our volunteers talents and
>> elbow grease. I realize that money can be tight these days, and you
>> are certainly free to participate without contributing $$$ toward that
>> particular bill, but we certainly appreciate every donation  if only
>> because every contribution means its that much longer before I have
>> to be here again with my hand out. :-)
>>
>> You can donate at http://bit.ly/KR1EsU. I also accept checks and cash
>> if you cant use PayPal for some point; email me at
>> mefasupportATgmailDOTcom and Ill email you my postal address.
>>
>> Looking forward to working (and playing) with you all in the 2012 MEFAs.
>>
>> Marta
>> (MEFA Admin.)
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
>> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Visit our website: http://www.mefawards.net/MEFA2009/
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

I'll be happy to help out as a banner maker again.

Nath

Sunday, June 17, 2012, 1:04:58 AM, Marta wrote:

M> Hey guys,

M> Over the last few months I've been discussing with several MEFA
M> volunteers how we can improve the awards for the upcoming year. And
M> we've finally gotten through all that. I'll make another announcement
M> later tonight about the changes, but the big thing to know is that the
M> 2012 MEFAs are coming, and soon! Specifically, heres the schedule for
M> the 2012 awards:

M> --- (1) July 1-31: Nominations season
M> (After this, new pieces cannot be nominated for the awards.)

M> --- (2) August 7: Deadline for authors to finalize any nominations
M> (After this, any nominations that are not finalized will be withdrawn
M> from the awards and will need to be renominated in future years.)

M> --- (3) August 23-31: Check ballot season
M> (After this, pieces usually arent moved to new categories or
M> subcategories. The only exception is if the author finishes a WIP
M> story.)

M> --- (4) September 1: First reviews are displayed at the mefawards.org website.
M> (After this, all final reviews will be displayed at the website and
M> cannot be edited. Reviewers should use the hidden or notes
M> [previously draft] status if they need to edit reviews.)

M> --- (5) October 1: Deadline to enter a reviewing goal.
M> --- (6) January 31 (2013): Last day of voting.
M> (After this, no new votes can be entered. Any reviews with the notes
M> status will not be counted unless they are given a final or hidden
M> status before this date.)

M> The most important thing is this: the MEFAs will start accepting
M> nominations in just under two weeks. And thats coming quickly.

M> *********************

M> So just what can you do to help out?

M> NOMINATORS: Now is the time to work out just what you want to
M> nominate. Basically, you can edit anything that hasnt competed in the
M> past (or that was a WIP at the end of the awards in which it
M> competed), provided it meets our eligibility requirement, is at a
M> publicly-available link, and meets other eligibility requirements. You
M> can find the pieces nominated in 2011 at http://www.mefawards.org/,
M> and past years nominations are listed at
M> http://archive.mefawards.org/ . Youll need the title, authors name,
M> authors email address, and link where the piece is available.

M> AUTHORS: You can help us out most by keeping an eye on whatever email
M> address you use for fandom websites and listservs. If youve changed
M> this in the last year, you should make sure your MEFA account is up to
M> date at www.mefawards.org. (If you need help doing that you can email
M> me at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom.) Also, if you decide you dont want to
M> compete this year, you should email me and let me know so I can put
M> you on our dont-nominate list.

M> Then there are more formal volunteers, the members who help me doing
M> specific work behind the scenes. Specifically:

M> LIAISIONS: We need volunteers to help guide authors through the
M> process of getting their stories ready to compete. This involves
M> contacting authors and answering any questions they have about the
M> MEFAs (you can ask me if you dont know the answer), and making sure
M> forms describing the stories are filled out correctly. You need to be
M> around regularly (ideally, at least once a day) between July 1 and
M> August 7. It also helps to have participated in the awards for at
M> least a year, and to have a generally positive and helpful attitude.

M> PROMOTERS: Want to help spread the word about the MEFAs? Promoters
M> post announcements at other Tolkien-centric websites, forums, and
M> listservs. You also need to keep an eye on those forums for MEFA
M> questions and relay them back to me if any seem to need an official
M> answer. The main thing is you need to know a place that would welcome
M> our announcements, where you can promote the MEFAs. You also need to
M> check your email regularly, between now and January 31. (Even if
M> someone promoted there last time, please feel free to volunteer;
M> theres always a chance that person might not volunteer again.)

M> BANNER-MAKERS: Have an interest in graphic design? Were always
M> looking for people to make banners and icons to recognize nominated
M> stories, people who meet their reviewing goals, and of course the
M> eventual winners. This can take as much or as little time as you are
M> willing to give to it, but obviously

M> RATINGS PANEL: Often authors arent sure what rating to give a story,
M> or readers will question whether the rating listed is appropriate.
M> When that happens I rely on the ratings panel, a group of MEFA members
M> who read the stories involved and tell me what rating they think the
M> story should have. Ill give them official guidelines for what each
M> rating should cover. They will then read the stories and decide which
M> rating is more appropriate. You need to be able to read stories fairly
M> quickly and see where they fit in our guidelines. Most of the work is
M> July 1-August 15, but occasionally I also need your help later in the
M> awards as well.)

M> (Actually, the use of rating is inappropriate. The MEFAs is moving
M> to something called content advisories  which is basically one rating
M> for sex, another for violence, and a third for other mature themes.
M> Ill say more about this when I post the PM results later tonight, but
M> the goal is to give more information to readers who might have no
M> problem with any kind of sexual content but prefer to avoid violence 
M> or vice versa. In any event the ratings panel will be looking at
M> whether those content advisories are appropriate.)

M> So: if any of those sound like your cup of Earl Grey, please send me
M> an email at mefasupportATgmailDOTcom. Even if youre not sure you can
M> handle it, drop me a line and Ill be glad to tell you more about what
M> we need.

M> *****************

M> One other way to help is with your wallet. The MEFA website relies on
M> having a website, and the company that provides it does like to be
M> paid occasionally. This costs around $10 a month and is our only
M> expense; the rest of the awards run on our volunteers talents and
M> elbow grease. I realize that money can be tight these days, and you
M> are certainly free to participate without contributing $$$ toward that
M> particular bill, but we certainly appreciate every donation  if only
M> because every contribution means its that much longer before I have
M> to be here again with my hand out. :-)

M> You can donate at http://bit.ly/KR1EsU. I also accept checks and cash
M> if you cant use PayPal for some point; email me at
M> mefasupportATgmailDOTcom and Ill email you my postal address.

M> Looking forward to working (and playing) with you all in the 2012 MEFAs.

M> Marta
M> (MEFA Admin.)

Yep, just like previous years, count me in! ;)
 
Ellynn
 


________________________________
From: Marta <marta.fandom@gmail.com>
To: mefawards@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2012 1:04 AM
Subject: [MEFAwards] the 2012 MEFAs are coming - and we want your help

So just what can you do to help out?

BANNER-MAKERS:

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]